LA's Own 'United Nations of Marijuana'
Californians keep coming up with ridiculous schemes to attract tourists. Dennis Peron, a "hero to the marijuana movement," is trying to open a weed-friendly hotel, or "pot-tel" in Koreatown's famed Hotel Normandie. Tonight is the grand opening.
Peron was the first person to open a marijuana dispensary in San Francisco, and now hopes to attract stoners to his pot-tel in Los Angeles. San Francisco, he says, is played out. For weed pros, it's all about LA now. Peron told the Los Angeles Times that, "it's really a logical step, a logical step. It's a big city. And they needed me down here. And I needed a change. It's the people. It's the numbers. It's the pop culture. It's skaters." Okay, whatever that means. But don't get too excited, because the hotel is already $200,000 behind on its loan, most likely due to stoner accounting methods. And even though tonight is the "grand opening," only a few rooms have been renovated.
But for long-term guests, it's a dream come true:
On a recent day, Caroline Lewis had a blunt wedged into a notch in an ashtray beside her bed. She said she smokes pot for back pain from the epidurals she had during four C-sections. She moved in about three months ago and loves the vibe. "Oh, God, it is so freaking terrific," she said. "It'll give medical patients a safe environment where they aren't hassled by the police."
Get in there while it's still cool (and still open).